Hand grip clothes carrier

ABSTRACT

A device for carrying garment bags and the like which has a handle and a support member integrally formed with the handle. The handle portion serves two functions: the first is as a handgrip for conveniently carrying the device with one or more garment bags or garments on hangers attached to the support member; a second function of the handle is to provide means for alternatively suspending the device and its burden from a clothes pole or a clothes hook. In an alternative embodiment, the device may be conveniently used for the support of such garment bags by a horizontal shelf.

United States Patent 1 Schmaltz Mar. 26, 1974 HAND GRIP CLOTHES CARRIER [22] Filed: May 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.1 141,783

[52] U.S. Cl. 224/45 T, 248/339 [51] Int. Cl. B44c 7/00 [58] Field of Search..... 224/293, 42.45 A, 42.46 A, 224/4517, 45 R, 5.14, 45.14; 206/7 K, 7 H; 248/215, 339, 340, 304

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Kenneth Noland A ttqrney, A gqr z t, q r Firm Charles E. C ates [5 7] ABSTRACT A device for carrying garment bags and the like which has a handle and a support member integrally formed with the handle. The handle portion serves two functions: the first is as a handgrip for conveniently carrying the device with one or more garment bags or garments on hangers attached to the support member; a second function of the handle is to provide means for alternatively suspending the device and its burden from a clothes pole or a clothes hook. In an alternative embodiment, the device may be conveniently used for the support of such garment bags by a horizontal shelf.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures msmcnmzs m 3.799.416

INVENTOR.

LEO SC HMALTZ ATTORNEY FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to devices for carrying garment bags by hand and suspending same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Portable devices for hand carrying garment bags are known to the prior art. However, the prior art devices fail to satisfy a long-standing need for a lightweight, comfortable-to-carry device which is simple to use and adapted to serve as hand carrier and hanger. In respect to the latter function, there is seen to be a need for a device which can serve equally well as a hanger supported by hook, pole, or shelf and a further need for such a device which is durable and sturdy and yet simple and inexpensive to manufacture and use.

Modern day travelers have an especially urgent need for such a compact, lightweight, and simple to use device for carrying garment bags in their travel. It has become customary for traveling businessmen and tourists to carry with them, in addition to their conventional luggage, one or more garment bags which maintain the clothing in the posture and condition in which it is normally worn without the necessity for folding such garments. The garment bag has a great appeal to the traveler because the clothing thus carried can be removed from the garment bag and worn immediately in a freshly pressed, unrumpled condition, as contrasted with the necessity for allowing clothing that has been folded and packed in conventional suitcases to hang for a period of time to let the wrinkles fall out and the necessity for ironing such clothing as must be used immediately upon arrival at their destination. Thus, the garment bag has achieved great popularity in this country and abroad; however, no truly convenient means for carrying garment bags and hanging them up enroute has yet appeared on the market. Moreover, no such device is available which can conveniently meet the storage difficulties posed by various arrangements encountered enroute and at the destination. In some cases it may be convenient to utilize a hook or projecting rod as a means for hanging up clothing, in other situations the traveler may have to use a clothes pole or even the edge of a horizontal shelf to support his garment bag. There is, therefore, a long felt need for such a device which can support the garment bagwhile being hand carried, while traveling enroute, and while at the destination and having the flexibility to adaptto the varied physical accommodations therein encountered.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device for carrying garment bags and the like which is convenient and comfortable to carry by hand.

It is further an object of this invention to provide such a device which is adaptable to supporting garment bags on projecting fingers, hooks, poles, and shelves.

It is further an object of this invention to provide such a device which is lightweight and yet rugged and durable in construction.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device which is simply used and inexpensive to construct.

These and other objects and-advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from inspection of the presently preferred embodiment of my invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device with a garment bag attached;

FIG. 2 is an elevation showing the device supported by a shelf.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the hand carrier for garment bags and the like has an elongate handle having first and second ends and means defining a first aperture. The first aperture serves to receive and engage clothes hooks and the like. Depending from the first end of the elongate handle is a support member. The latter has means defining a second aperture which may be in the form of a tab with a hole bored through it, or which may be integrally formed with the support member itself, or which may be an eye formed of metal wire or various other means. This second aperture receives and engages the hooks of garment bags and the like. There is also a tab depending from the second end of the elongate handle. An undulated surface on the underside of the elongate handle serves to engage a pole at this and other convenient points on the handle. In another preferred embodiment of my invention the handle has a depending shoulder which is spaced apart from the tab depending from the second end of the handle. This depending shoulder, in cooperation with the spaced tab, provides a pair of support points so that the handle can be conveniently used to support the device and the garment bags which it supports by means of a horizontal shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to the drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of my invention appears, FIG. 1 showsthe hand carrier 2 supporting a garment bag. The carrier 2 is rigid, integral and substantially C" shaped. The elongate handle 4 forming the upper part of the substantially C shaped carrier has a first end 6 and a second end 8. It also has an aperture 10 which is used for receiving and engaging clothes hooks (not shown). A support member 12 forming the remainder of the carrier is integrally formed with and depends from the first end 6. The support member 12 has a tab 14 depending from the bottom 16 of the support member 12. In the tab 14 which, as appears in FIG. 1 is below and intermediate the shoulder 22 and the tab 20, is a second aperture 18 which receives the hanger portion of one or more garment bags. Depending from the second end 8 of the elongate handle 4 is a tab 20 which in cooperation with the shoulder 22 provides a pair of support points which protrude downwardly more than the remainder of the undulated surface 32 for the hand carrier 2 to make it convenient to support the hand carrier by means of a horizontal shelf. An undulated surface 32 is provided on the underside 34 of the elongate handle 4, the undulations 32 being disposed between the shoulder 22 and the tab 20, for convenience in gripping the handle. The undulated surface 32 may also be used to rest the handle on a horizontal pole, the precise undulation used being a matter of choice depending upon the distribution of weight depending from tab 14.

The device is made out of strong lightweight plastics known to persons skilled in the art. For extra strength, a metal reinforcing rod (not shown) may be incorporated with the hand carrier.

Using my device the traveler can quickly and easily engage the hanger portions of the traveling bags and carry them in complete comfort. At various intermediate points along his journey he may suspend the traveling bag from such places as may be at hand without removing the garment bag from the hand carrier. The device is not only lightweight, it is also small compact and easy to store.

Having fully described the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 claim: a

l. A device for carrying garment bags and the like comprising a rigid, integrally formed and substantially C" shaped carrier having:

a. an elongate handle forming the upper part of said C and having first and second ends, an aperture in said handle intermediate said ends for engaging clothes hooks, and an undulated surface disposed on the underside of said handle for engagement by hand or clothes pole and tenninating at said first and second ends in a shoulder and tab, said shoulder and tab protruding downwardly more than the remaining downwardly projecting undulations of said surface to provide a pair of support points for supporting said carrier on a horizontal shelf; and

b. a support member depending from the first end of said handle to form the remainder of said carrier and having an aperture therein disposed below and intermediate said shoulder and tab for receiving the hangers of garment bags. 

1. A device for carrying garment bags and the like comprising a rigid, integrally formed and substantially ''''C'''' shaped carrier having: a. an elongate handle forming the upper part of said ''''C'''' and having first and second ends, an aperture in said handle intermediate said ends for engaging clothes hooks, and an undulated surface disposed on the underside of said handle for engagement by hand or clothes pole and terminating at said first and second ends in a shoulder and tab, said shoulder and tab protruding downwardly more than the remaining downwardly projecting undulations of said surface to provide a pair of support points for supporting said carrier on a horizontal shelf; and b. a support member depending from the first end of said handle to form the remainder of said carrier and having an aperture therein disposed below and intermediate said shoulder and tab for receiving the hangers of garment bags. 